tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38417551565615723612024-02-20T05:22:24.898-08:00gristlybitsBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-56033502212919216602010-06-05T13:44:00.000-07:002010-06-05T13:44:48.887-07:00I've moved!Blogger isn't for me, so I bought a domain name and started hosting <a href="http://www.gristlybits.org/">gristlybits.org</a> at laughingsquid.com. Hope to see you there. <br />
<br />
<a herf="http://www.gristlybits.org/">http://www.gristlybits.org/</a>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-79542839873523817312010-05-09T21:48:00.000-07:002010-05-10T15:18:58.558-07:00Bánh mì burger.I call this my banh mi burger, though it's a very loose interpretation of the classic Vietnamese sandwich. Ground pork is combined with liberal amounts of fish sauce, garlic, serrano chilies, scallions, and cilantro, then slathered with sriracha mayo, and topped with basil, tomato, etc. It's un-friggen-believable how much flavor this sandwich has. Salty, sweet, and spicy, this burger has it all. <br />
<br />
To make this monster, I busted out the grinder, broke down a 3.4 lb pork shoulder in to 1-2" cubes, and chilled the meat for about half an hour. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4594238638/" title="Pork shoulder by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Pork shoulder" height="326" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/4594238638_84b85fbba3.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I ran the pork through the grinder a couple of times until the meat and fat were mixed well. Ground pork at Safeway was 3.99 a pound, but I got 2.5 lbs of ground meat for less 5$. Sure, it takes a bit of time and effort to do it yourself, but it is definitely worth it. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4594241280/" title="Ground pork by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Ground pork" height="326" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/4594241280_a76dd85889.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<br />
Banh mi style patties<br />
<br />
1.5 lb ground pork<br />
1/4 cup fish sauce<br />
1 heaping tbs brown sugar <br />
1 egg, lightly scrambled <br />
1 cup bread crumbs<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
2 serrano chilies, minced (seeds and membranes removed, if you must)<br />
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced<br />
handful of cilantro, chopped<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4594243406/" title="Prepped by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Prepped" height="326" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1084/4594243406_909679c53d.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<br />
Sriracha mayo<br />
<br />
1 cup mayo<br />
3 tbs sriracha (to taste)<br />
1 tbs lime juice<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4593626021/" title="Two great thing by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Two great thing" height="326" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/4593626021_033d17e5e6.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<br />
To make the mayo, mix all ingredients and chill for a couple of hours.<br />
<br />
Accoutrement<br />
<br />
Fresh basil leaves<br />
Tomato slices<br />
Red onion, thinly sliced<br />
<a href="http://battleofthebanhmi.com/how-to-make-banh-mi/pickling/pickling-daikon-and-carrots/">Pickled dikon & carrots</a><br />
<br />
Preheat your grill and lubricate the grate with canola oil thoroughly.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4594244516/" title="Starting her up by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Starting her up" height="450" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1262/4594244516_1498832c2d.jpg" width="326" /></a> <br />
<br />
Mix all ingredients well and form in to patties. Grill until done, about 4 minutes per side.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4594276942/" title="Viet-style burgers by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Viet-style burgers" height="326" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/4594276942_d59d3d10bf.jpg" width="450" /></a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4593824319/" title="Grillin by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Grillin" height="326" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1308/4593824319_2658af0097.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<br />
Toast buns, slather on mayo, and top patties with basil, tomato, and onion.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4593826315/" title="Banh mi burger by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Banh mi burger" height="326" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4593826315_dd0c2f80b7.jpg" width="450" /></a>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-39637418264426290302010-05-05T12:34:00.000-07:002010-05-06T11:50:17.360-07:00Gaga over goat.I love goats. Not only are they cute as hell, <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/319789_goats14.html">excel at weed control</a>, and produce the most amazing milk, but they're damn tasty to boot. Goat is one of my favorite types of flesh, and it's leaner and lower in cholesterol than both lamb and beef. Yet, you hardly see goat on restaurant menus, meat counters, or butcher shops in this country, except for joints that serve or cater to certain ethnic groups, and that to me is a travesty. <br />
<br />
<br />
I've been plotting a traditional barbacoa-style whole goat roast ever since I found out one of my neighbors owns a <a href="http://www.lacajachina.com/">Chinese pig box</a>, but I thought it might be best to start small before I embarrass myself in front of my whole neighborhood. So, last weekend I drug the wife out to the University District farmers market and picked up a goat roast from <a href="http://tobotoncreekenterprises.com/index.html">Toboton Creek Farns</a>. <br />
<br />
A random goat we met in Hawaii. Looks tasty, no?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4473792247/" title="Just kidding by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Just kidding" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4473792247_0b79f3ea6f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Due to wacky Seattle weather, I decided to braise the goat in an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobo">adobo</a>, rather than lightly smoking it in my Weber Smoky Mountain like I planned. Not quite the practice run I had envisioned, but the goat turned out awesome anyway.<br />
<br />
The goat was light in flavor, tender as hell, and became a thing of utter beauty when wrapped in a tortilla. We feasted on goat tacos, black beans, and jicama / lime / cilantro slaw until we passed out in a food-induced coma. It was epic. <br />
<br />
1 5 lb goat roast (preferably bone-in) trimmed of excess fat and silverskin<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4571521605/" title="Goat roast by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Goat roast" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4571521605_5e6506c957.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Adobo<br />
<br />
5 dried ancho chilies (seeds and stem removed)<br />
5 guarillo (seeds and stem removed)<br />
1 lb tomatoes <br />
1 tbs dried Mexican oregano <br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
2 tbs vinegar <br />
1 tbs salt<br />
<br />
Split chilies down one side with a sharp knife, butterfly, and toast in a hot, dry skillet for ~30 secs on each side. Place toasted chilies in a bowl, pour boiling water over chilies and soak until soft, about 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4571521157/" title="Toasting chilies for adobo by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Toasting chilies for adobo" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4571521157_549eb6f677.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Puree chilies with rest of ingredients and 1/2 cup soaking liquid from chilies in a blender until smooth.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4571522113/" title="Adobo by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Adobo" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3508/4571522113_a0ee4dc150.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.<br />
<br />
<br />
Rub adobo in to roast (save remaining adobo) and place the goat in to an appropriate braising vessel. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 4 hours, or until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Allow roast to cool in the pot for about 30 minutes, or until you can handle the meat without burning yourself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4573130124/" title="Goat braised in adobo by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Goat braised in adobo" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/4573130124_08403154a2.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
If you've got a fat separator, pour the drippings from the roast in to it and add it (sans fat) to the remaining marinade. Shred meat and place in a shallow, oven proof pan and pour marinade / drippings over the top. Place goat back in oven and bake for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4573132022/" title="Shredded by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Shredded" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4573132022_204c6e45ef.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
<br />
Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sliced radishes, fresh crumbled cheese, and cilantro.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-43142248108154794532010-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:002010-04-28T12:11:54.212-07:00A better burger.I love burgers. Yeah, I know you probably do to, but I really love hamburgers. Like women, burgers come in all shapes and sizes and I like them all equally, though some are more equal than others.<br />
<br />
West Coast style burgers (a la <a href="http://www.redmillburgers.com/">Red Mill</a>) will do in a pinch, but I'd give a kidney for a bacon cheese <a href="http://www.whataburger.com/">Whataburger</a>, and I would most certainly do unspeakable things for a double double from <a href="http://www.in-n-out.com/">In-N-Out</a>. I like burgers with fried eggs (of many avian species), green chilies, peanut butter, onions of any persuasion, meat (bacon, ham, salami, etc etc etc), pickles in any guise, ripe tomatoes, and I'm not a bigot where condiments are concerned. I even like burgers that aren't really burgers in the classic sense. Lamb, chicken, all manner of fish, pork, mushrooms, eggplant, et alia, all make for excellent burgers. <br />
<br />
I like thin patties fried up on the griddle, fat, juicy, and obscenely rare patties from reputable joints, and burnt hockey-pucks from the backyard grill. And don't get me started on cheese! The possibilities are endless, which is what makes the humble hamburger such an amazing thing to behold. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I take great pride in my own burgers, and through trial and error have managed to put together a répertoire of kick-ass sandwiches that I whip out whenever duty calls. Inevitability, however, I've be come very disappointed with the quality of ground meat to be had. With the exception of <a href="http://www.fischermeatsnw.com/">Fischer's</a> and <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bobs-quality-meats-seattle">Bob's</a>, none of the ground beef around here taste much like beef. Even Whole Foods and PCC don't do it for me, so, in an effort to build a better beef burger, I've forsworn pre-ground meat for good. That's right, I'm off the sauce, so to speak.<br />
<br />
My lovely in-laws gave me the grinder attachment for my Kitchen-Aid a couple of years back, and while I've used it a few times with varying degrees of success, I haven't used it to its full potential. That changed this weekend when I took a humble chuck roast that was on sale at the local market and turned it in to a work of beefy art. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4553118172/" title="Preparing to grind by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Preparing to grind" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/4553118172_4a8fe830ba_b.jpg" width="281" /></a><br />
<br />
Grinding on the Kitchen-Aid attachment takes a bit of prep, but as long as you keep the chunks of beef and fat small and cold, you should be good. <br />
<br />
To prepare the chuck roast, I simply broke it down in to 1-2" chunks, trimmed off as much fat and connective tissue I could, and put the cubed meat and a portion of the fat in the freezer for half an hour. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4553120718/" title="Grinding by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Grinding" height="281" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/4553120718_f508805565.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Worked like a charm. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4552484171/" title="Ground chuck for half the price by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Ground chuck for half the price" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/4552484171_99ffcb737c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
And there you have it! 2 lbs of ground chuck (about 90/10) that actually tastes like beef! No lips, anus, or nasty little bugs in this ground beef, and I saved about $2 a pound by grinding it myself. And now that I've got this fabulous ground chuck, we can proceed with crafting a truly epic burger, a pimento cheese burger to be exact. <br />
<br />
<br />
I've never been a fan of pimento cheese, but I blame that on the crap I was fed as a child. I figured it was time to get over that particular hang-up so I did some research and put together my own pimento cheese recipe. Hope you like it. <br />
<br />
Pimento Cheeseburgers<br />
<br />
<br />
3/4 lbs shredded sharp cheddar, such as <a href="http://www.tillamookcheese.com/OurProducts/Cheese/Vintage_White_Extra_Sharp_Cheddar.aspx">Tillamook vintage white cheddar</a><br />
3/4 lb shredded jack<br />
2/3 cup good quality mayo<br />
1/4 tsp cayenne<br />
1 tsp granulated garlic<br />
4 oz cream cheese, whipped <br />
1/2 tsp paprika<br />
4 oz pimentos or pickled cherry peppers, diced <br />
Sriracha to taste (I used 2-3 tbs) <br />
2 lbs of fresh ground chuck<br />
Salt and pepper <br />
1 beefsteak tomato, sliced<br />
1 red onion, sliced<br />
Buns, toasted<br />
<br />
To make the pimento cheese, combine the first 9 ingredients, cover and refrigerate for several hours. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4553124546/" title="Pimento cheese by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Pimento cheese" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/4553124546_3903f169c7.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
<br />
Because I wanted to showcase the beefiness of my freshly ground beef patties, I kept it simple when it came to seasoning. Before I formed the patties, I added a couple of tsp of salt to the beef and mixed well. I formed 4 half pound patties and applied liberal amounts of salt and fresh ground pepper to each side. <br />
<br />
I fired up my Weber chimney with lumb charcoal and proceeded to get my grill on.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4552935727/" title="Grillin like a villain by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Grillin like a villain" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/4552935727_74303a8371.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm a three-flip kinda guy, and I prefer my beef on the rare side, but you're on your own here. <br />
<br />
Slather the pimento cheese on one or both sides of the bun, top with sliced tomatoes, onions, and whatever else floats your boat. Serve with whatever sides you feel are appropriate; in our case we made some over fries with the funky purplish, starchy ass potatoes we got in our last CSA box. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4552933179/" title="Pimento
cheeseburger by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Pimento cheeseburger" height="281" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/4552933179_47b811a937.jpg" width="500" /></a>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-77121749590248579632010-04-10T16:12:00.000-07:002010-04-28T12:20:43.675-07:00What the hell?So yeah, it's been a month since I last updated. Not particularly proud of that, but you know how it goes. Things have just been crazy around Casa de la Spangler lately, and between work, traveling, being good dog parents, sinus infections, and family visits, I just haven't found the time to write. I'll try to be better about it in the future.<br />
<br />
On the upside, I have been using my time wisely. The wife and I went to Maui for 6 fabulous days and got some much needed downtime. I won a performance award at work, so they flew us out, put us up in a kick-ass resort, fed us well, and treated us like royalty. Resort living ain't necessarily our thing, but we rented a car for a few days and explored the island. We had lunch at one of <a href="http://www.bevgannonrestaurants.com/haliimaile/">Bev Gannon's</a> restaurants, saw kite / wind surfers riding 30' swells at <a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4472060306_6f7f0c5129_b.jpg">Hookipa</a> and the best <a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4471065653_d41a70f40c.jpg">Hawaiian Ices</a> at a little shack in Kihei. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4465465107/" title="The view by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="The view" height="281" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4465465107_60417a6470.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
All the locals we met were super laid back and friendly, and everyone tried to sell us weed. It was awesome. I did almost choke to death on <a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4471844988_1f068b9619.jpg"> this pizza</a>, in Paia, but it takes more than a slice of organic flatbread pizza to defeat me. We went whale watching and had some very close encounters with a Humpback whale mother and calf. We even did a little 4'x4'ing in the West Maui mountains and got dirty as all get out. It was also awesome. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4473792917/" title="Pancho and lefty by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Pancho and lefty" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4473792917_53a5ee4d08.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Maui was great, but it was also super expensive, and I can't imagine paying to go back. We had a great time and all, but there are so many other places we want to go and it really was stupidly expensive. Also, Maui was very touristy in a way that just doesn't appeal to me. I'm grateful for T-Mobile USA for the experience, but we were happy to go home. Why you might ask? We missed the hell out of these guys:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4508467394/" title="Heading to the dog park by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Heading to the dog park" height="281" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/4508467394_45f89563cc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
You can check out all the pictures on my <a herf="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/sets/72157623749450298/" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3841755156561572361&postID=7712174959024857963">Flickr page</a>, if you're in to that sort of thing.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-36485887444971431662010-03-12T11:07:00.000-08:002010-03-12T11:30:36.103-08:00No time for love, Dr Jones.**<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So yeah, been busy. The wife and I went back to TX for a few days to help our friends' Jamie and Denny celebrate their shotgun wedding. Saw the friends and family, drank too much, and ate some mother-loving Whataburger. I love Whataburger. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4411192805/" title="Whataburger by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Whataburger" height="281" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2733/4411192805_df714007fd.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Now I don't eat fast food often, I think most of it is pretty gross in fact. There are, however, a few places that I hold in high esteem: In-and-Out, Taco Bueno, and Whataburger. Chick-Fil-A use to be on the list; they had a mean chicken biscuit once upon a time, but not so much anymore. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">What else? My wife had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, so we gathered our friends and celebrated her 27th year of life at Flying Squirrel Pizza. We ate, we drank, we were merry. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4397432376/" title="Shrie bday by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Shrie bday" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4397432376_30f08aa383.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The weather this winter has been ridiculous, so we've been taking advantage of it. Iris approves.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4405473768/" title="Iris mid-run by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Iris mid-run" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4405473768_f4ef5fe733.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I haven't been cooking anything too interesting lately, though I have been on a kale kick. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4423444515/" title="Green for the monies. by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Green for the monies." height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4423444515_f8d023b448.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Since this is technically a cooking blog, I guess I'll share my favorite kale recipes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1.5 lbs kale, cleaned and roughly chopped. I prefer to tear it by hand.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 gloves garlic, chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> 1 healthy pinch of red pepper flakes</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup chicken stock</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 tbs white or red wine vinegar </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 tbs olive oil</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Salt / Pepper to taste</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the kale and toss well with the oil. Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover, and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until liquid has evaporated. Toss with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Douse with Tabasco and enjoy. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This recipe works well with most greens, especially mustard. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">**Though I think the movie, he actually said, "Hey, Doctor Jones, no time for love!". </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-75191913749165987432010-02-21T16:55:00.000-08:002010-02-21T16:55:16.576-08:00Like key lime pie?<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The wife and I had some friends over Saturday night for a little fish taco party. The tacos ruled (and I'll blog about that some other time), but the star of show was the key lime pie. After a gluttonous feast of fried snapper with chipotle lime mayo, this key lime pie was exactly what we needed to cool our palettes. </span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Every pie</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> lives and dies by the crust, so don't wuss out and use a pre-made version . The brown sugar and cinnamon add an amazing complexity to the crust, so thanks to my Mom for that little nugget. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jamie, this one's for you! </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name='more'></a> Graham cracker crust:<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs<br />
6 tbs unsalted butter, melted</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tbs white sugar<br />
1 tbs brown sugar<br />
<br />
Filling:<br />
<br />
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk<br />
3 large egg yolks<br />
3 teaspoons grated lime zest, finely chopped<br />
1/2 cup key lime juice, freshly squeezed if possible <br />
<br />
Whipped cream:<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons granulated or powdered while sugar<br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
<br />
Place the rack in the center of your oven and preheat at 350F. <br />
<br />
For the crust:<br />
<br />
I like to buy whole graham crackers and make the crumbs myself. Simply place whole crackers in to a large ziplock bag, and beat gently, but firmly with a rolling pin until you've reach the desired texture. It's quite satisfying to beat the poor, innocent crackers you'll find, but be careful to leave a few larger pieces (relatively speaking) intact to give some additional texture to the finished crust. Also, as a warning to other crackers who might get out of line. <br />
<br />
Mix the crumbs, melted butter, and both sugars together with your hands in a medium bowl. When everything is combined thoroughly, press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a well-buttered 9 inch pie pan. It's important to make sure the crust is even, other wise the bottom or sides will collapse, and no one likes broken-down pie.</span> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cover with plastic wrap and chill the crust in the fridge for an hour. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;" />For the filling:</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4374499654/" title="Where pie comes from. by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Where pie comes from." height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4374499654_a194ec123a.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
With a mixer (stand or hand) beat the egg yolks on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Fluffy. <br />
<br />
Fold in the zest and juice, then stir gently until filling is completely mixed. <br />
<br />
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the custard is set. The pie will firm up as it cools, so don't overdo it in the oven or your pie will suck. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4374497372/" title="Like key lime pie. by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Like key lime pie." height="376" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2755/4374497372_798f83b866.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cool your pie completely and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. <br />
<br />
For the whipped cream topping, simply beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to beat the cream until your peaks get firm. Add a dollop to each piece, or spread a layer of whipped cream across the whole pie, whatever floats your boat. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4375077840/" title="Mmm, pie. by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Mmm, pie." height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4375077840_d04d3f4eb4.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-83177433586306659532010-02-15T20:33:00.000-08:002010-02-15T20:33:15.282-08:00What I'm listening to.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gristlybits is mostly a food blog, but I haven't been cooking much of late. So, instead of boring you with tales of grilled cheeses and taco salads I will share with you, dear readers, some tidbits from my other hobby, music. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.wxyc.org/">WXYC</a>: College radio from University of North Carolina, is by far my favorite radio station. Think <a href="http://kexp.org/">KEXP</a> without the overpaid morning douche and pledge drives (not that there's anything wrong with the pledge drives), but with more variety and a much more diverse offering. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for KEXP and all that they do for independent music (whatever that means), but they're no WXYC, </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lala.com/#artist/Hot_Chip">Hot Chip: One Life Stand</a>. Hot Chip's fourth studio album, "One Life Stand" might be their best record yet! The wife and I listened to it last night whilst we made dinner and I found myself dancing around the kitchen like an idiot to Hot Chip's stupidly catchy sythnpop grooves. Twelve thumbs up. I also highly recommend the Hot Chip DJ-Kicks comp if you're not familiar with their work. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name='more'></a><br />
I got sidetracked and didn't have time to finish this post. In the interest of clearning the queue out, I'll give you the terse version: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Rest-Forth-Mouth-Heaven/dp/B002LFPA7A">Bear in Heaven: Beast Rest Forth Mouth</a>. Psych-prog pop rock w/ a touch of drone? Très Magnifique!</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Sport-Fuck-Buttons/dp/B002L132R4">Fuck Buttons Tarot Sport</a>. Noise for the sake of being weird, and I can't stop listening. One of my favorite albums of 2009. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logos-Atlas-Sound/dp/B002MED6BW">Atlas Sound: Logos</a>. Bradford Cox's 'solo' project. Experimental rock of the best kind. Also, see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cryptograms-Deerhunter/dp/B000LC51WO">Deerhunter</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Psychic-Chasms-Neon-Indian/dp/B002PQ7JMO">Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms</a>. Disjointed electro-pop from Austin, TX. Catchy, has a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-White-Williams/dp/B000WM71XK">White Williams</a> vibe, and I mean that in a good way. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-11891681938694272592010-02-04T11:02:00.000-08:002010-02-04T18:43:17.329-08:00Mascarpone, a tale of failure.<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dear readers,</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have failed you, I've failed myself, and I failed the nice lady who taught us how to make mascarpone at the <a href="http://www.cascadepeoplescenter.org/cascade/">Cascade People's Center</a>. I will spare you my excuses, since I know you don't care that I couldn't find the 1 1/2 to 2 hours it would have taken me to go to Kirkland from Snoqualmie during lunch in order to pick up the tartaric acid I needed for the recipe. It was poor judgment on my part to think that the alternative recipe I found on <a href="http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/mascarpo.htm">this</a> site that uses white wine vinegar in lieu of the C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>6</sub>O<sub>6 </sub>that the recipe called for would work out like expected.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4326558305/" title="mascarpone
prep by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="mascarpone prep" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4326558305_c4d770af19.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
</sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub></sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub></sub></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><sub>Things started out so well, and I had high hopes for the finished product. I searched incessantly for cream that had not been ultra-pasteurized, and paid out the bum for it at PCC. I used a double boiler to prevent scalding or burning the milk. I stirred like crazy, standing in front of the worst stove in the world for 2 hours hoping that curds would magically materialize, but alas, it was not meant to be. </sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub>In short, I tried my best to make things work, but in the end I was left with a with a funky cream cheese-like mixture that never really separated in to curds / whey. </sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4328968731/" title="Making queso by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Making queso" height="281" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/4328968731_08acdd3f16.jpg" width="500" /></a></sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub><br />
</sub></span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub>I didn't bother with pictures of the finished product, but I'm determined to try again next week. Don't worry, dear readers, you'll be the first to know how it goes. </sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub><br />
</sub></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><sub> </sub></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub> </sub></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sub> </sub></span></div>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-30387885836836717922010-01-31T12:44:00.000-08:002010-02-01T11:41:21.993-08:00Dinner with friends.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Saturday night the wife and I went over to our friends Lindsey and Jesica's house for supper. Lindsey is a vegetarian, but her significant other Jes is carnivorous and had a hankering for some pork, so I thought I'd oblige her. I wanted to do a braised pork belly, but the wife rejected that idea (she's got weird texture issues, but that's a story for another post) so I settled on a a pork shoulder braised </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">in </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">apple cider with lots and lots of onions, and a chocolate cream pie for dessert. </span></span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The pork shoulder recipe I use can be found on <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cider-Braised-Pork-Shoulder-with-Caramelized-Onions-105913">Epicurious.com</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. It isn't the most complicated preparation ever, and I can see no reason why this couldn't be done in a crock pot, aside from the searing. Don't skimp on the onions, even if you're not a fan, because they disintegrate in to the most amazing gravy that really sets the pork off. One could even add a few chopped apples, if one was so inclined.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I do a pot roast that's prepared exactly the same as this dish, but calls for beer instead of cider as the braising liquid. If pork ain't your thing, use a chuck roast and a bottle of your favorite beer instead for fabulous results. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4317110139/" title="Braised pork shoulder by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Braised pork shoulder" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4317110139_cb9d10da87.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This picture is from about halfway through the cooking process. The finished product looks a little less creepy, and the onions really fall apart once you start reducing the braising liquid and onions in to gravy. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The chocolate pie recipe is from the <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/09/grandmas-chocolate-pie.html">Homesick Texan</a> and turned out fabulous. In hindsight, we probably should have let it cool off for a while before throwing it in the fridge, but we didn't mind the little puddles of fun that formed on the meringue. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4318318352/" title="Chocolate cream pie 1 by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Chocolate cream pie 1" height="281" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4318318352_72eca77c7d.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-82808227193845676362010-01-26T10:01:00.000-08:002010-01-31T12:13:09.959-08:00Glutamate for teh win.<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love glutamate. From fish sauce, to anchovies, to MSG, glutamate is the tastiest amino acid ever. I add glutamates, in some form, to pretty much everything these days and because my wife doesn't really care for anchovies (she humors me sometimes), my glutamate delivery mechanism of choice in most cases is fish sauce</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Good quality fish sauce, like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/3953522573/">Tiparos</a>, is a ridiculously easy way to add tons of flavor to sauces, soup, stews, braises, and savory dishes of any kind. Fish sauce adds a wonderful depth of savoriness (umami!!) to whatever you add it to, and as long as you don't over do it (whatever that means), there's no trace of fishiness at all.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I put fish sauce in <a href="http://gristlybits.blogspot.com/2010/01/beast-meatloaf-ever.html">meatloaf </a> with fabulous results, and I added it to the beef and barely stew I made Sunday night to really send it over the top.<br />
<br />
So go ahead, stop being a wuss, and crank your flavor knob up to 11 with little bit of fish sauce. Your taste buds will thank you.<br />
<br />
Beef and Barely stew:<br />
<br />
2 tbs bacon drippings or 2 tbs of canola oil<br />
2 tbs olive oil<br />
1 1/2 pounds stew beef cut into 1 inch pieces<br />
3 tablespoons flour<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)<br />
1 cup diced celery<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped onion<br />
6 cups beef broth<br />
3 tbs good quality fish sauce<br />
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
bouquet garni or other herbs to taste (thyme, rosemary, savory, oregano, whatever)<br />
1/2 cup pearled barley<br />
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced carrots<br />
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed turnip, parsnips, and/or rutabaga<br />
1 1/2 cup cubed potatoes<br />
1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh<br />
<br />
Toss stew beef pieces with the flour, salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the fat over medium high heat. Working in batches, add the meat to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.<br />
<br />
Add the olive oil to the pan, and once it's hot, add the onions and celery. Cook the onions and celery for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions just start to caramelize.<br />
<br />
Add the broth, fish sauce, Worcestershire, bay leaf, bouquet garni or herbs, and beef (and all juices/drippings) to the pan, scrape up any sticky bits on the bottom, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer stew for 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
Uncover and turn heat back up to medium high. Add barley, carrots, and root veg of choice, and bring stew back to full boil. Cover once again and reduce heat to low for another 25 minutes. Increase heat, uncover, and add potatoes. Cover once more and lower heat for another 25 min. Uncover, add peas, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4304483508/" title="Beef / barley stew by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Beef / barley stew" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4304483508_f518592719.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<code></code><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-6997453619109549732010-01-24T11:09:00.002-08:002010-03-01T09:17:07.977-08:00Chilaquiles<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;">My wife gives me crap every time we go to our favorite taqueria, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-la-venadita-issaquah">La Venadita</a>, because I always order the same thing: chilaquiles. La Venadita is a very authentic, traditional taqueria and everything they do is great. The food is exactly like you'd find at any of the countless carts, stalls, and mercados that litter Mexico City, and I've had almost everything on their menu, but chilaquiles is the only thing I want anymore. They're that good.<br />
<br />
Chilaquiles is a very simple, very traditional Mexican dish that consists of corn tortillas, stale ones preferably, that are fried until crispy then simmered in a spicy tomato sauce until soft. Eat as is, or add scrambled or fried eggs, shredded chicken or chorizo, and top with crema, crumbled queso fresco or cotija, diced onions, and cilantro. While considered peasant food in many parts of Mexico, </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;">chilaquiles, is a great way to use left overs, and when done correctly will blow your mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;">Chilaquiles </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;">can be a complicated dish, if you want it to be, or you can knock out a decent version in a few minutes if you've got a Mexican tienda in your 'hood. A few cans of El Pato's <a href="http://www.mexgrocer.com/1276.html">Salsa de Chile Fresco</a> and a bag of good tortilla chips or tostadas are all you need for a basic chilaquiles, or you can make your own spicy tomato sauce and totopos (chips) from scratch for a more customized implementation.<br />
<br />
Below is the version I made for the 35th Ave S Saturday brunch. Serves 6 as a main course or 8-10 as a side.<br />
<br />
1 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes, drained<br />
1 27 oz can of El Pato Salsa de Chile Fresco<br />
1 can chipotles in adobo<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons olive or veg oil<br />
1 large white onion, thinly sliced<br />
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped<br />
1 1/2 cup chicken stock<br />
12 oz good quality tortilla chips or tostadas. For best results cut stale corn tortillas in to triangular pieces, and fry until crispy in 375 degree veg oil or lard. Drain on paper towels and toss with salt.<br />
<br />
Optional:<br />
<br />
shredded chicken (left over roasted, store-bought rotisserie, or poached)<br />
diced onion<br />
queso fresco or cotija<br />
Mexican creama or sour cream<br />
chopped cilantro leaves<br />
salsa picante (</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Valentina, El Yucateco, Cholula, etc)</span> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
<br />
Put tomatoes, salsa de chile fresco, and 2-4 chipotles, plus 1 tbs adobo (to taste, basically) in blender, and puree until smooth.<br />
<br />
Heat the oil in a 5 or 6 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the tomato mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring often.<br />
<br />
Continue to simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bring sauce back to a simmer, and cook for another two minutes. Add salt to taste, but be careful since most commercial tortilla chips are heavily salted.<br />
<br />
Remove from heat and gently fold in chips, totopos, broken up tostadas, or whatever you're using. Cover and let the chilaquiles rest for a few minutes before serving. Top with a drizzle of crema, a couple of sunny side up eggs, shredded chicken or cooked chorizo, and diced onions, cilantro, and salsa picante.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4307584559/" title="Spicy tomato sauce by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Spicy tomato sauce" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4307584559_1d6a7c1f86.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
Easy poached chicken:<br />
<br />
1 whole chicken<br />
12 whole peppercorns<br />
20 whole coriander seeds<br />
1/4 cup salt<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
<br />
Wash chicken and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water by a couple of inches, add salt and spices, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 45 minutes, or or until chicken is done. Cool thoroughly and shred meat with hands. Strain left over broth and refrigerate to separate fat. Use within a couple of days for soup or whatever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4389081614/" title="photo.jpg by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="photo.jpg" height="375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4389081614_061788b274.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
</span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-26587048795711017672010-01-18T09:41:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:42:12.398-08:00Full Tilt<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://fulltilticecream.com/">Full Tilt Ice Cream</a><br /><br />After another decent-but-not-great dinner at Island Soul, the wife, a friend of ours, and I walked the couple of blocks to Full Tilt Ice Cream. I'd had a hankering for the chocolate coconut curry (CCC) ice cream ever since they tweeted about it a few days before, and I had had to satisfy my need. Fortunately the Columbia City store still had some CCC in stock, so I ordered up a double dip waffle cone, with salted caramel w/ Sailor Jerry spiced rum on top and CCC on bottom. The Sailor Jerry salted caramel was decadent beyond belief, and the CCC was everything I had hoped for, though a bit more curry wouldn't have hurt my feelings.<br /><br />I had my birthday party at Full Tilt, and they did an amazing job on my custom flavor, bacon banana, so I'm a big fan. Full Tilt has some of the most original flavors and nicest people in Seattle, so go give them your ice cream business.</span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-1920707099058549642010-01-16T18:03:00.000-08:002010-01-18T11:18:38.774-08:00Dinning in the 'hood.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here's a quick run down of the places we're eating in and around Columbia City over the last few days.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allpurposepizza.com/">All-Purpose Pizza</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />There's a lack of pizza delivery options here in Columbia City, with Pizza Hut and Domino's being the mainstays. Fortunately All Purpose Pizza & Ale House delivers to our 'hood, and while we haven't had much luck with the salads or pastas, the pizza kicks ass. All Purpose uses a sourdough crust that's pretty damn tasty, and the red-wine marinara that's slathered on some pies is out of this world. While AP is kind of expensive, but we don't do delivery often, and it's nice to have a steady source of decent pizza at our beck and call. It's no <a href="http://www.flyingsquirrelpizza.com/Index/Home.html">Flying Squirrel</a>, mind you, but All Purpose will do in a pinch.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/both-ways-cafe-seattle">Both Ways Cafe</a><br /><br />We wandered in to Both Ways Cafe, a Seward Park mainstay on a late Saturday morning and waited for a table. We were soon seated, sipping away at cups of good, strong coffee, and agonizing about what to order. Both Ways is known for their biscuits, so I went with the obvious choice of biscuits and gravy, while the wife had a biscuit sandwich (eggs and cheese on a biscuit, duh).<br /><br />Our food came out quickly (despite what the haters on Yelp say), and I got acquainted with the single crumbly, dense, biscuit was swimming under a layer of sausage gravy. I dug and found the biscuit to be quite good, despite its hockey puck like density, and it worked well with the overwhelmingly salty, sage infused gravy that enveloped it.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The wife enjoyed her breakfast biscuit sandwich, though the home fries that came with hers were mediocre at best. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Not a bad meal, though a single biscuit w/ gravy will set you back 9$, which is a bit ridiculous. Still, it's nice to have a viable alternative to <a href="http://www.geraldinescounter.com/">Geraldine's</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tonys-bakery-seattle">Tony's Bakery</a><br /><br />MLK and Graham St is littered with Asian markets, specialty shops, and bakeries of all shapes and sizes. There are a billion to get <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1nh_m%C3%AC">banh mi</a> in the area, and while the best in Seattle can be found in the International District, there are a few decent places in my 'hood. Tony's, a Vietnamese bakery tucked in the Viet Wah shopping center, is the one I hit most often when I need a quick banh mi fix.<br /><br />Tony's isn't the cleanest place in the world, but they do a decently consistent 'pork meatball' banh mi and have lots of tasty looking, authentic Vietnamese food served up cafeteria style. They've even got <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2800/4157965979_34fb5327f4.jpg">chicken feet</a>, one of my favorite gristly bits ever, but I'll save those for my next visit. Tony's is located right next to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/thanh-thao-restaurant-seattle">Thanh Thao</a>, one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joints.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://islandsoulrestaurant.net/">Island Soul</a><br /><br />Oh Island Soul. I want to like you, don't get me wrong, but it's just not working out. We've been to Island Soul a few times now, and every visit has left me wondering why I bothered in the first place. Sure Island Soul's got great coconut corn muffins, outgoing wait staff, and full bar, but the mediocre food and expensive-ass prices are a deal breaker.<br /><br />20$ for a portion of fatty, bony, and not-very-flavorful oxtails is just dumb. The one good thing on my plate, IS's vegan collard greens, isn't enough to salvage our already rocky relationship. The 9$ dark and stormy, made from ginger beer that's brewed in house was great in theory, but the execution fell short. Au Revoir.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-14368855580089410262010-01-16T17:40:00.000-08:002010-02-01T11:38:47.394-08:00Texas Red.<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 tbs bacon drippings or vegetable oil<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 lb chuck shoulder, trimmed and cut in to 1/4 inch cubes<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">8-12 Ancho, New Mexico, and/or California chili pods </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
1 large onion, finely chopped</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
2 tbs Mexican oregano</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
3 tbs crushed cumin seed or ground cumin </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
1 tbs salt </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
4 minced garlic cloves, to taste </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
2 x 7.75 oz can hot Mexican-style tomato sauce (such as El Pato Salas de Chili Fresco) </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
1 cup chicken stock or water</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
3 tablespoons masa harina<br />
<br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Clean, stem, and seed chilies, then. boil 5 minutes in 1 quart of water. </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Reserve cooking water, c</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ool the chilies and chop , or throw the water and chilies in a blender and puree. You can substitute 6 tablespoons chili powder or ground chili, but quality matters, so don't skimp.</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
Heat fat in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meat</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on all sides</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> then add onions, chilies, reserved cooking water, and enough water or stock to cover meat by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
Add oregano, cumin, salt, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and stock to pot. Simmer 45 minutes more stirring occasionally and skim off grease as needed.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
Taste the chili and adjust the heat and salt to taste. If you need more heat add extra chili or ground cayenne pepper, but keep in mind it's easier to add heat than to take away. </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For a more fiery chili you can use dried de arbol or morita (chipotle) chilies that have been toasted and ground or boiled and pureed. </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
Sprinkle masa harina over chili and stir well. Simmer another 30 minutes, or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, diced onions, and cilantro. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<br />
</span><br />
</span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-86378997786494785712010-01-12T14:05:00.000-08:002010-01-12T14:20:49.490-08:00Food Party.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.ifc.com/food-party/">Food Party</a>, which bills itself as a 'non-reality' show, is my new favorite television series. The show airs on IFC and follows the culinary adventures of Thu Tran and friends. I can't begin to describe Food Party, so I won't bother trying, but you should definitely watch it for yourself.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-72000109479844613242010-01-10T13:44:00.000-08:002010-02-03T21:45:33.120-08:00The best meatloaf ever.<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meatloaf is one of those abstract dishes that just begs for mucking around with. My own personal favorite is heavy on the fish sauce, fennel, and herbs, and is simply out of this world. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1 lb lean ground beef or turkey***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1 lb ground pork</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1 fennel bulb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1 large onion, cut in half</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">3 cloves of garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">handful of fresh herbs, minced or 3 tbs dried herbs (anything will do,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">though I'm partial to fresh italian parsley, sage, or thyme, and herbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">de provenance for dried)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1/3 cup good quality fish sauce (or to taste)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">2 tbs Worcestershire or soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">1-2 cups bread crumbs (or more, depending on the texture of the finished loaf)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">salt to taste (at least a tsp or two)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">pepper to taste</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Preheat the oven to 350<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finely dice one half of the onion, and grate the other half using the</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> large side of a box style grater. Remove the stems/fronds from the fennel bulb, and grate per the onion above. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">with your hands. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4326559597/" title="Onions and
fennel by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Onions and fennel" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4326559597_0e912b6134.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Add bread crumbs as needed until mixture is just </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">barely sticky. You shouldn't need much more than a cup.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4326560109/" title="Funk loaf by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Funk loaf" height="281" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4326560109_8958afcb01.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Scrape in to a standard loaf pan and cover with ketchup (if desired).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
Bake for 75 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">You can pretty much use 2 lbs of whatever ground meat you want. I </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">recommend pork and turkey or beef, but no reason you can't use lamb, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">veal, buffalo, elk, chicken, ostrich, or whatever. I say to taste for </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">many of the ingredients because it's really up to you how flavorful / </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">salty you want it. The more fish sauce and soy you use the less salt </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">you need to add, but don't skimp on the seasoning.<br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-5243002460894353062010-01-07T09:48:00.000-08:002010-02-01T11:39:53.872-08:00Wednesday night potluck<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last night our friend Kiki came over for a little Wednesday night potluck action. Kiki brought over a wonderful pesto, goat cheese, and arugula pizza that she made, while the wife and I whipped up sausage and eggplant 'casserole' from Mel at <a href="http://www.bitchincamero.com/mel/">Bitchincamero</a> and a biscuit bread pudding a la <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/03/proof-is-in-biscuit-pudding.html">Homesick Texan</a>.<br />
<br />
The sausage and eggplant casserole was more like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strata_%28food%29">strata</a> than a traditional casserole (whatever that means), and it gave me a chance to use my brand new <a href="http://www.benriner.com/">mandoline</a> that my lovely wife got me for Christmas. I think it turned out pretty good, even though the eggplant (from a local big chain grocery store) was a bit on the tough side, but I blame the crappy produce. I did make some changes to the recipe, of course, like the addition of caramelized onions to the sausage / strata layer, some additional herbs, chile piquin, and plenty of pecorino romano, but I'm sure it's just as awesome with no modifications. I would suggest keeping the size of the bread cubes under 1"...<br />
<br />
The biscuit bread pudding was divine, but how could it not be?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4252371833/" title="Sausage & eggplant by naz66, on Flickr"><img alt="Sausage & eggplant" height="180" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4252371833_0cd7798858_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-52339373399564862572010-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:002010-01-06T13:48:13.430-08:00Gristly bits, Filipino style...<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I fully intended to make a nice chicken-veg-pasta soup last night (with De Cecco acini di pepe!!), but after walking the dogs and doing some work around the house, I just didn't have enough time. So, the </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">wife and I decided to check out one of the restaurants in our 'hood that we've been eyeballing for a while.<br /><br />Columbia City is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Seattle and has a wide range of incredible ethnic restaurants, so we're never at a loss for awesome, authentic food from just about country in the world you can imagine. The Philippines in particular is very well represented in the CC/Beacon Hill area, so when hunger struck, we set out for <a href="http://www.kawaligrill.com/">Kawali Grill</a> to try out this amazing fried chicken </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(pandan) </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">we've heard about.<br /><br />Kawali Grill was pretty dead when we got there, which was a bit of a put off considering it was prime time for the dinner crowd, but we pushed on anyway. We walked in and were told by the nice gentlemen behind the bar to sit anywhere we liked, so we grabbed a table in the corner and watched a weird-ass Filipino game show that was playing on both TVs at full blast while we waited to have our order taken. After a few minutes of hanging out and trying to make sense of what we were watching, the lone waiter/chef came over, took our orders, then dashed off in to the kitchen to make it happen.<br /><br />We ordered fried lumpia as a starter, and while Kawali does offer the more traditional fresh version, we weren't feeling it. The wife went with Pandan chicken, which are chicken fingers marinated with coconut milk, ginger and soy sauce, coated in panko, deep fried, then covered with the ubiquitous sweet chili sauce, while I decided on sisig.<br /><br />Sisig (aka sizzling sisig) is a traditional Filipino dish that's typically made up of a combination of pig ears, jowls, snout, liver, and other assorted odds and ins. Kawali Grill's particular implementation consists of pig ears, snout, stomach, chicken livers, onions, and jalapenos all chopped up and 'grilled' on a griddle, then served on a sizzling plate with a side of lemon and rice.<br /><br />The lumpia were okay; nothing special, while the wife's pandan chicken was delicious, but almost anything coated in panko, deep friend, and doused with sweet chili sauce would be. It was nicely presented with rice, a fried plantain chip, and some very limp, steamed mix vegetables.<br /><br />The sisig was about what I expected: porky, greasy, and every bite chock full of crazy textures. I could almost pick out each of the various bits of pig and chicken parts within each bite, with the jowls and snout providing a cartilage like crispness, the stomach bits were chewy and tough, while the chicken liver melted in my mouth. I never got any jalapeno heat, but I assumed that Kawali had toned down the heat level for the brutally bland NW palette anyway, so I was forced to rely on my old friend, Rooster brand sriracha to get my heat fix.<br /><br />Sisig by itself is a bit much, and not because the textures or taste are too weird to enjoy. I found the dish to be far too greasy, and while I enjoyed trying it, I think sisig would be much better filling for traditional taquería style tacos rather than as a stand alone dish. Give me some corn tortillas, diced onions, cilantro, some radishes, and a nice salsa de arbol, and sisig would be pretty much the best thing ever.<br /><br />As it is, Kawali Grill wasn't bad. We spent under 40$ for two entrees, and appetizer, and a couple of San Migs (the infamous Filipino beer), which ain't bad for dinner for 2 in Seattle. Wasn't the best Filipino food I've ever had, but not bad for a Tuesday night out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4249501165/" title="pandan chicken by naz66, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4249501165_df8b4b78f9_m.jpg" alt="pandan chicken" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naz66/4250267350/" title="Sisig from Kawali grill by naz66, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4250267350_dc928efd63_m.jpg" alt="Sisig from Kawali grill" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-5230165633349926772010-01-05T09:43:00.001-08:002010-01-05T17:05:49.294-08:00Curry in a hurry<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">A friend from Chennai (aka Madras) recently sent me a an interesting recipe for a chicken curry, so I figured I'd give it a go last night. Now chicken curry recipes are a dime a dozen, and most of them are mediocre at best, but this one was different.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">How different you ask? Well, the base for this curry is nothing more than yogurt, ketchup, some garlic ginger paste, and a few spices, and it was one of the most complex and delicious curries I've had in a long time. Sour and spicy, with just enough sweetness to balance it out, I'm definitely making this one again. </span><br /><i style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Marinade:</i><br /></span> <p style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yogurt - 1 cup (Indian or traditional </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Greek</span><span style="font-size:85%;">)<br />Tomato Ketchup - 1 cup<br /><i>Shaan</i> brand Garam Masala - 2 tbsp<br />Chilli Powder - to taste<br />Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp<br />Oil - 1 tbsp<br />Salt - 1 tsp<br /></span> </p><p style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Chicken thighs - 1 lb<br />Mint leaves - 2 big sprigs</span> </p> <p style="font-family:verdana;"> </p> <p face="verdana"><span style="font-size:85%;">Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, though the longer the better. Add chicken and marinade to pot, and cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often. Uncover the pot and turn heat down to low for 15 more minutes. Towards the last 5 minutes of cooking, add chopped mint. Serve with rice, naan, or whatever.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">You can add water to thin the gravy if desired during cooking, though the curry is wonderful as is.</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I changed things up a bit because I didn't have any mint, but I did have a bunch of cilantro on hand so I used that instead. Not quite the same, but to be honest, I think it turned out better with the cilantro than it would have with the mint. I also made my own garlic-ginger paste, since I didn't have any of that either, by throwing garlic, ginger, and a bit of salt in my giant mortar and pestle, then pounded away until it was a paste. It's way more flavorful than the stuff you find at most Indian & Paki markets, but already prepared paste works just fine. Finally, it's very important to use a good, tangy Indian or traditional Greek style yogurt, so don't puss out and go with Dannon or Yoplait. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">To go with my ketchup curry, I had a head of cauliflower and some potatoes from my last CSA box, so I threw together a version of aloo gobi. There's a billion recipes for aloo gobi out there, and the one I use isn't anything spectacular, but you can find it here: http://ahaar.blogspot.com/2006/09/aloo-gobhi-potato-cauliflower.html<br /><br />I added quite a bit more spice than the recipe called for and it was still kind of bland.<br /></span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841755156561572361.post-11997274776529431762010-01-04T11:56:00.000-08:002010-01-04T12:08:18.957-08:00The gristly bits...<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hi there. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is my fourth or fifth attempt to start a food blog, so we'll see how long I actually maintain this one. The idea is to blog about my food adventures, from the crap I cook at home to where were eating in Seattle (my home base) and beyond.<br /><br />I hope to share with you, the one or two folks that stumble across this blog, recipes, advice on canning and preserving, restaurant reviews, and whatever else I feel like sharing. </span></span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295495591761615926noreply@blogger.com2